A Support And Educational Blog for Parents with Hurting and Troubled Teens

TOP EIGHT REASONS TO KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR TEEN!

In an ever growing world of cybermania, teens are becoming more and more updated with the latest craze or addiction. I recently came across several articles that blew my mind away as to how deviant, distorted, and crazy our world has become by only looking at the sites and trends that our teens are now into.

Most recently, my daughter was asked to join a site called KIK. Once you register, you can begin posting pics and doing chats. She didn’t know much about the site so she went along with it because her friend begged her to spend more chat time with her. She wasn’t even on a full 15 minutes and she came across quite a few half nude pictures of other teens posting themselves for all to see. She was shocked. But there is more. You can send private messages that your parents can’t see as well as sexting. In fact, your child could be corresponding with a predator and not even know it. And worse, the parent or the teen would not be able to identify who it is on the other end.

The other day we were talking about this situation and I began to ask my daughter if she knew any of the sites or trends on my list that would be a major concern for a lot of parents. She was aware of a few, but others she had never heard of. She knows how to get around on the computer and her cell but nowadays new sites and trends are popping up all the time and it is hard to keep up. It was only about 6 months ago that I had mentioned on one of my other posts about a few of these sites and lo and behold, a bunch more cropped up that I had never heard of.

Doing some digging is something of a hobby and there was only one decision to make. Tell other parents! So, here is the list that is in front of me and what I know of the latest. My post would be too long if I added all of them, so I picked the ones that were the most serious.

1. Yik Yak – A gossip type app in which you can post secretly. The problem with this is that since you can post anonymously, there can be issues with bullying and stalking and threats. Originally the site was geared towards Sr. High students. Now it has crept down to the younger ages and has already caused issues in schools.

2. Whisper – this is a very dangerous app. You share your most private secrets with the Whisper community and they in return can respond to that secret. The issue is this – what if you have a young impressionable pre-teen girl who is sharing her secret about her suicidal tendency or cutting or her anorexia. How do you know if the person on the other end is giving them bad advice or says one thing that could put them over the edge and cause a deadly result?

3. SnapChat – This site is a photo-sharing website that allows them (the teenager) to take pics of anything and see it disappear within seconds so that you (the parents) don’t ever see it. However, the concern with this is that when you share your pic with your friends, someone else can take a screenshot (say of you half-naked) and re-feed it and you will never be able to get it off of the internet.

4. Poof! – And that is exactly the reason why this app is called what it is. With one touch, your teen can hide all their apps from you. It is no longer available to download but if your teen still has it on their phone before it was taken down, then they still have it available to use.

5. ChatRoulette – this is a fairly new site that I haven’t heard of. The object is to pair you up with a stranger. If you don’t like them, you can move on to the next person. Although anyone under 18 is not allowed, there is no guarantee that someone is checking your teen’s age. So expect things like inappropriate content and images. Similar sites to this are Omegle, Dirty Roulette and ChatRandom. The biggest dilemma here is that you can chat with strangers via webcam. With that in mind, sexting and stripping wouldn’t be far off. And of course, you could be chatting with a predator. My daughter was invited by her cousin because they were bored one day. In an hour’s time, they met so many people. Some creepy, some like predators, and even some 12 year-olds. She never wanted to go on there again.

6. Down App – Also known as “Ahem…” the Banging with Your Friends app. Initially it was meant for adults. The app was utilized with Facebook users who could send private messages to their friends in their social group alerting them that they were looking for a date or to “get down” with them. Unfortunately, it is being used among teens.

7. Vodka Eyeballing (trend) is a trick that is used among teenagers who want to make sure that alcohol is not smelled on their breath. As mentioned, Vodka is poured into the eyeball to get the high that is needed while not being detected. What teens don’t realize is that the use of this drug can cause blindness.

8. Tampon Drunkenness (trend) is another trick to keep the smell of alcohol as far away from the teen’s parents. Soaking the tampon in alcohol (equal to one shot), then inserted into the vagina or rectum, the alcohol is absorbed into the body giving a high. The issue with this type of usage is alcohol poisoning in their system.

I don’t believe one parent wants to think that their teen is doing something like this unless their teen has been down the road of addictions, and yes, I call them addictions if they are hiding what they are doing and doing it constantly. Nevertheless, we have to always be on guard that our teens could be vulnerable at any time in their life when they are going through severe hurts, struggles, and crises.

I would rather be armed and ready than to sit idly by thinking that my teen wouldn’t do something like this and find out later that they did. You are still the parent. You are still responsible for them. They may carry that phone or be on that computer, but you own both. Even if they paid for it, they live with you and are still under your authority. It’s that simple. They are not responsible if they are involved in any of these apps and trends. So you need to be responsible for them. One of my daughter’s got involved into something in which she lost her computer and phone for two years. Now as a college student, she understands the dangers and pitfalls. So let us stand together as parents and keep our teens safe!

Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment. Proverbs 4:7 (NLT)

For wisdom will enter your heart, And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;Discretion will guard you, Understanding will watch over you. Proverbs 2:10-11 (NASB)

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18 thoughts on “TOP EIGHT REASONS TO KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR TEEN!”

If you could see my body language as I’m reading this list….I hate this list. But I know it’s my responsibility to read it and to be aware, and to talk to my teens about it. I knew about most of them, but those last few got me. Thanks for this.

I know what you mean. It is sad that we even have a list like this in the first place. And yes, the last two were shockers for me as well. That is why I added them. So many parents don’t know. We have to be as pro-active as possible in keeping our teens safe.

I had to learn the hard way and so did both of my daughters. They don’t want others to go through what our family went through. With that in mind and recent discussions with my youngest about this, there was no other choice but to expose the truth. This way so other parents can be armed with information and know what to do.

I totally understand. I never want others to go through what I went through. That is one of the reasons that I had my book published and started a ministry. What God did for me, I know that He can and will do for many others.

No one likes to be confronted with a list like this….ever! But unfortunately like you mentioned, in this world we have to always be on alert for our kids. Many truly don’t understand what they are getting into and others do. But it is what we as parents do that will make the impact in their lives and keep them safe.

Thanks for posting such insightful things – this is the stuff that can literally save lives.
A few other popular but dangerous apps are “Meet Me” and “Omegle”. There seems to be so many of these dangerous apps continuously coming out that as soon as us as adults learn about them, the kids are on to the next one.

About Me!

Growing up in the Northeast, the only dreams I had for my life was to grow closer to my Heavenly Father, be happily married, and have an easy road to raising wonderful and successful children. I think God was laughing at that last part.

As you can guess, it wasn’t easy at all. In fact, it was hard. Raising teens in this world is the most difficult job to do. Even more difficult, when they become a teen in crisis.

From the darkest trials into the depths of depression, to the biggest milestones and the ultimate victories, I was able to weather the worst of storms with Christ at the helm.

My journey as a parent to a teen in crisis led me through the tsunami of issues no parent wants to be confronted with; Self-harm, suicidal tendencies, body issues, porn, abandonment and rejection, as well as PTSD. These were only the beginning waves of what was yet to come.

How does one get through these parenting struggles? Christ was my living anchor of hope and promise. He showed me how to take hold and be lifted up when I felt like I was ready to drown. Even through that very painful period, the Lord was beginning to reveal His plan and use those crisis situations for His glory.

Today, I continue God’s call on my life by sharing stories from the heart and using His Word. No more should parents feel alone and ashamed. It is time to be encouraged and uplifted. God is your Anchor of Promise – Hebrews 6:19.

Wife to my husband Dan of 34 years, I am also mom of two daughters, 2 cats and 2 dogs. My book, Turn The Tide of Emotional Turbulence: Devotions for Parents With Teens in Crisis will be out in Spring 2019.

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